Visual inspection media and mode of operation



June 24, 1969 C. D. LOWERY VISUAL INSPECTION MEDIA 'AND MODE OF OPERATION Filed Nov. 20, 1967 Sheet of 5 INVENT OR BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS c. D. LOWERY 3,452,189 VISUAL INSPECTION MEDIA AND MODE OF OPERATION June 24, 1969 Filed Nov 20 1967 BY semmesandsemmes M ATTORNEYS June 24, 1969 r c, W R 3,452,189

VISUAL INSPECTION MEDIA AND MODE OF OPERATION Filed Nov. 2o, 1%? Sheet Z of s BY semmesandsemmes ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,452,189 VISUAL INSPECTION MEDIA AND MODE OF OPERATION Carthel D. Lowery, 921 W. Coral Drive, West Palm Beach, Fla. 33406 Filed Nov. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 684,305 Int. Cl. F21] 1/00 US. Cl. 2402.18 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cross references to related applications This application is closely related to my copending patent application Ser. No; 629,614, filed Apr. 10, 1967, of which the present is considered an improvement thereof.

Background of the invention The present invention relates generally to such uses as sewer constructions, both sanitary and storm; closed conduit construction and inspection in connection with repairs to existing sanitary sewer and storm drainage facilities, but is not restricted entirely thereto. Other and related uses include visual observation from above ground of under-ground utilities, electrical and communication conduits as well as storage vessels and the like, more especially cargo vessel holds.

The following is a list of pertinent prior art: Parrish, 689,220; Pino, 849,570; Warmer, 1,300,901; Dixon, 1,035,426; Warnecke, 1,302,254; Chardell, 1,828,924; Baer, 1,907,314; Ranstead, 1,859,682; Baddorf, 2,028,430; Karnes, 2,167,657; Nash, 2,196,936; Shaw, 2,968,208; and Nisperly, 3,140,339.

Summary of the invention The present periscopic inspector comprises generally a group of telescoping sections, removably secured at one end to a combination mirror-illumination compartment, known as the viewing compartment, which said compartment is provided with a source of electric power and means for actuating respectively and in unison the light source and the reflecting means, both being spring loaded and having means to lock on to the interior target.

Description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a view in perspect of invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the FIG. 1 configuration taken along the lines 22 thereof;

FIG. 3 is an horizontal section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the relative lock on positioning of the basic components of invention upon adjustment thereof micrometrically as indicated hereinafter.

The invention 100, reference FIG. 1, includes the compartment 110 having rear portion 112, bottom 114, appropriately raised above the floor on which it is set by plural fins extending keelwise thereof. The viewer opening 116 and illuminator opening118 are each aligned in parallel and openly communicant. An access hatch 120 leads to the compartment 122, said compartment containing the illuminator 130, the illuminator being are- Patented June 24, 1969 uately adjustably mounted, as will hereinafter be described, and bearing in sealed engagement with the spongeous forward seal 118. The viewer opening 116 is sealed by means of the fixed viewer window 116', resting in moisture sealed contact by means of a similar appropriate spongeous frame 116".

With reference now to both FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the illuminator including reflector and bulb, not shown, is adapted to pivot on the trunnions 126 by means of the arcuate pivot 132, said pivot being keyed to the cam 134, and said cam having bearing contact with the terminous of the illuminator 130 by means of the.

arcuately disposed illuminator spring 136. In FIG. 2, the linkage 138 is adapted to substantially fixed engagement with the pivot 132 by means of the yoke 138, said yoke being adjustably secured to link 140, said link 140 and its corresponding connector link 142 together with yoke 144 comprising in combination with the adjustment axle 146, a means of transmitting corresponding rotary motion to the respective reflector and illuminator, there being a cam 148 fixed to the reflector axle 146 as will be noted from reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

As indicated, the viewer 150 comprises a mirror, suitably framed on sides thereof and having spring tension engagement with the floor of the device by means of the spring 152 bearing upon the viewer to contact cam 148, beneath the center axis thereof, the bottom of the illuminator seating itself within the locking block 154. Thus, by reference to FIG. 3 it will be noted that the crank 156 which is secured to the axle 146 will, upon micrometric rotation, transmit arcuate motion to the respective reflector and illuminators correspondingly axially, the relative reflection of the viewer cam 148 and illuminator 130 being such as to move the respective viewer and illuminator elements lineally in corresponding increments, angularly with respect to the horizontal center axis of the compartment 110, whereby to ensure constant parallel alignment of the respective illuminator and viewer elements. The normal angular relationship of the viewer mirror at calibration 0 is 45 and that of the illuminator at 90. Ideally, the crank 156 is adapted to tension locking engagement with the calibration scale 158. Thus, by means of embossed graduations on the scale and corresponding protrusion on the crank 156 indicator head, the crank may be raised, rotated and set in the scale where desired to fix the viewer and illuminators. The graduated scale, adjustment crank and associated cam control mirror and light are designed for setting simultaneously with the levelling device 170. For example, in the inspection of a sewerage line having a fall of one foot per one hundred lineal feet, one would depress the crank one foot as indicated on the calibration scale, thereby ensuring an accurate inspection from point of rest of the device to the end of the line, assuming that the fall were constant. By the same token, if there be a rise in the conduit line, the converse arrangement would be. made following levelling, per se. The device includes, for facile viewing, the telescopic tubes 164, the uppermost of which is ideally provided with a protective glass 166, filling the circular area in cross section. The tubes are preferably of variable length and the uppermost tube may have a semicircular eye-shield 168 at its opening to shade the user against outside reflections.

Reference FIG. 4, the schematic illustrates the initial disposition of illuminator and reflector-viewer. Note that the viewer is disposed at an angle of 45 from the vertical zero line of sight and the illuminator is disposed at 90 from this zero line of sight. In this position, the viewer would obtain a clear inspection of a conduit which was perfectly level and on which the device rested level.

Reference FIG. 5, nonetheless, where the inspector rests level but the conduit is inclined a few degrees, the

necessary micrometric adjustment effected to the mirror, for example at beta degrees from the 45 normal position requires that the illuminator be displaced alpha degrees from its normal horizontal position. This alpha displacement of the illuminator is of necessity twice the displacement of the viewer displacement whereby to achieve perfect parallel alignment of the line of sight, precedent to reflection in a normal direction. This schematic sample illustrates the principal involved in the mechanical system of FIGS. 2 and 3, where for purposes of construction simplicity the viewer and illuminator have been mounted in the otfset relation shown.

Clearly, from the aforementioned, numerous modifications in the invention may be made without departing from the spirit of invention, thus, for example, substituting bellows for telescope sections 164 and/or other collapsible tube; remote control on/off switch means for the illuminator and tilt adjust could be adapted to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Additionally, optics secured to the vertical portion of the telescope at any particular point could be useful for magnification and/or photography.

The invention, therefore, is to be restricted only as defined in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A portable periscope viewer comprising in combination:

(A) acompartment,

(B) axially aligned spaced apart illuminator and reflector-viewer elements seated in radially spaced apart disposition in the compartment, and

(C) means for simultaneously adjusting the angular relation of said illuminator and viewer elements with respect to the compartment to conform to the declination and inclination characteristics of the area being viewed,

the respective illuminator and viewer components being linked and the means for simultaneously adjusting the respective angular relation thereof being common to the two,

said means for adjusting being micrometrically adapted to lock-0n a pre-selected angle of viewing, whereby to present to the viewer pre-selected substantially right angled inspection viewing.

2. The periscope viewer of claim 1, in which the viewer includes vertically disposed telescoping tubes, at least one of which is closed to the atmosphere.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein respective illuminator and viewer components are tandem mounted the illuminator being disposed in advance of and ofiset from said viewer component.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the illuminator component is disposed forwardly and above the viewer component, said illuminator being directed at 90 from line of sight and said illuminator being disposed at from line of sight.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,417,123 5/1922 Wood 240-44 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

R. L. MOSES, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 350-301 

